This workshop will look at the basics of Support Group marketing and branding, how to utilise social media to enhance your marketing and social media ‘tips and tricks’.

This session will focus on Listening and why it is perceived as such a vital skill in support group facilitation and management. Highly developed listening skills are a fundamental characteristic required to be a good facilitator. One key to good listening is good questioning, the two go hand in hand. We will examine listening styles and levels of listening and how we can develop and hone our own listening. There will be some guidance on the benefits of practicing and developing this key skill in the support group setting.

Provides the practical skills of how to run an Annual General Meeting. The session covers actions are required pre-AGM, during the AGM, and post-AGM.

Provides the foundational steps to develop the purpose, vision and mission of your Peer Support Group through an active learning process.

This workshop will develop and consolidate participants’ leadership skills to enhance the growth of their Peer Support Group. Participants will gain an in-depth understanding of leadership and and effective facilitation as well as the role of succession planning in ensuring Group long-term sustainability.

Learn about exciting funding opportunities for your group! ConnectGroups will present its small grants programs and the City of Busselton will present its community grants. The session will be followed by a facilitated mini consultation for group leaders, facilitators and volunteers to articulate their needs and challenges. The consultation will inform ConnectGroups and the City of Busselton of priority areas and advocacy activities.

This free workshop provides an introduction to group Governance. The session will focus on identifying risk factors that can adversely impact the sustainability of Support Groups and Community Groups. It will provide participants with the necessary tools to assist and empower them.

Network with others involved in the community space! This is a great opportunity to meet other community champions, share information, and identify opportunities to collaborate.

Strategic Planning is the fundamental process in defining a group's direction and key priorities, setting out the actions needed to achieve desired goals. This interactive free session will guide participants through the process of strategic planning for their Support Groups.

This workshop will look at the basics of Support Group and Community Group marketing and branding, how to utilise social media to enhance your marketing, and social media 'tips and tricks'.

Defines what makes an effective Facilitator, the roles and responsibilities of a Peer Support Group Facilitator, and troubleshooting tips. The workshop explores the importance of communication and provides useful tools to communicate effectively. The session also considers the perception of conflict and how to manage moments of conflict.

Provides an introduction to Peer Support Group Governance. The session will focus on identifying risk factors that can adversely impact the sustainability of the Group. It will provide participants with the necessary tools to assist and empower them.

We have all been in that situation where there is a conversation that we dread, that makes us think about how to approach it. It may be the person or the topic or indeed both combined that fills us with dread and fear of how to tackle it. In this session we explore how we feel when we know we need to approach a conversation that we perceive will be difficult. This might be within our support group, with stakeholders or other organisations. We then look at practical ways in which we can ‘script’ and ‘destress’ the conversation and mange not only how we feel about it but also how we manage the conversation and make it more impactful.

Supports and educates peer Support Groups which do not typically operate within the mental health space with the knowledge and basic skills to support their members or individuals within the wider community experiencing distress. The workshop will build the capability of Groups to respond to others in distress effectively, safely and with confidence.

Explores the basic and more advanced functions of Instagram from the perspective of a Support/Community Group. We will deep dive into the planning and scheduling of content, encourage an understanding of how and why to use Instagram Stories, Reels and Multiple Photo Posts and basics tips for increasing audience outreach and engagement.

Strategic Planning is the fundamental process in defining a Peer Support Group’s direction and key priorities, setting out the actions needed to achieve desired goals. This interactive session will guide participants through the process of strategic planning session with their for their Support Groups.

This session takes a look at the functions of Facebook from the beneficial point of view of a Support/Community Group. This includes the utilisation of Facebook Private Groups and Community Pages, Posts and linked content between multiple social media platforms.

Storytelling is a powerful tool for support groups that can assist in promoting their cause and influencing donors, prospective partners, and the wider community. A good storyteller has the ability to capture and hold attention, better communicate messages and meaning, and stay memorable to their audience in the long-term. As support group leaders, you all have a story to tell, and this session will provide you with the knowledge and skills to tell this story effectively and impactfully.

In this session we explore Unconscious biases as our unintentional people preferences, formed by our social experiences. We can subconsciously categorise people when we meet them to avoid having to conduct completely new sets of parameters and decision making for every new person we meet. We assign a ‘value’ to the categories, we take mental shortcuts, and we use them without even realising it. We will look at the way in which stereotypes are developed, often based on images in digital media, or assumptions passed on by parents, peers, and others. We will learn how to put checks and balances in place to recognise and remodel our own behaviours.

As the year comes to a close, this session will focus on resilience and setting yourself up for the new year to ensure you start your 2024 with a vision for the year ahead. We will examine a 6-step Project ‘ME’ process that sees you evaluating your current situation, designing a vision board, creating a roadmap, and tracking your progress throughout the year.